Coral Reef Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Coral Reef - Essay Example Coral reefs therefore are mostly found in the oceanic environment where there are large quantities of calcium carbonate. Structure of the Ecosystem; Biotic and A biotic Coral reefs consist of both the biotic and a biotic factors and this determines the living and the non-living parts of the ecosystem respectively. The biotic factors encompasses all the life forms that are within the coral reefs and this includes the following; the density of the coral polyps, fish population in the waters, the wide range of the mollusks population, all the populations of echinoderms, the population of zooplanktons and those of benthic crustacean. All these constitute the biotic par t of the coral reefs (Nichols and Williams 41). With regard to a biotic factor, there are also a number of conditions mostly environmental that constitutes a biotic factors, they include; water temperature, the PH of the water, water salinity, the dissolved mineral in water, the suspended particles of inorganic matter in w ater. There are also other factors such as the strength of the current, the sunlight reaching the coral reefs, the degree of dissolved oxygen in water as well as depth/ pressure of the water on coral reef. Carbon and Nitrogen cycle of the Ecosystem Coral reefs contribute to the carbon cycle through calcification process, they release carbon dioxide gas that eventually reacts with other bases until equilibrium is reached, and this depends on the buffering capacity of the water. The coral reefs through cycling of the nitrogen molecules through water and the atmosphere in cycles and continuous manner also necessitate nitrogen fixation. Disturbance and Recovery of the Ecosystem Coral reefs suffers unprecedented disturbance from the human and other natural occurrence in equal measure. With reference to the human disturbance, a legion of activities results into the disturbance considering the fragility of the reefs (Davidson 62). Some of the ways through which disturbances occur through h uman are; industrial discharges into the lakes come with a number of chemicals that are detrimental to the development of the corals and kill them. Construction activities in the ocean environment also facilitates activities that disturb the growth of the coral reefs, such activities includes; port development, dredging, reclamation works, and industrial development. Port activities also increase the disturbance of the coral reefs through spills of cargo and the associated petrochemicals (Nichols and Williams 59). There are also natural factors that affect coral reefs and this includes; ocean currents, strong oceanic currents may sweep the corals and disintegrates them leading to their disturbances. Unfavorable a biotic factor such as light wavelength, pressure, and poor oxygen distribution in the ocean can also lead to disturbances in growth and development of the corals. Ecosystem recovery based on Resilience mechanism and the theory of Secondary Succession Coral reefs faces a num ber of disturbances and needs to recover from the shock that manifest to them in daily occurrence, there are fishing activities in the ocean, global warming menace is also another factor that is a effecting the coral reefs and once this happens. The life of the coral reefs are placed in danger and they need to recover from t